Iron Girl 2
by MarinaWrites
Summary: The second book in the Iron Girl Trilogy
1. Chapter 1

four months after we announced the truth, the world was a whole new place.

Iron Man and Iron Girl where everywhere, we had our own Japanese anime, Stark Industries was flying, the famous expos in New York where complete sell outs, we worked for the US Army, Marines, Air Force, everywhere. People wanted me for modelling shoots and advertising campaigns, they wanted me to guest star in Teen TV shows like Pretty Little Liars, The Vampire Diaries, Teen Wolf, I went everywhere, and Brody came with. Apart from when me and dad where in active war zones and the like.

I spoke to S.H.I.E.L.D on several occasions, we were working together on the super secret Avengers Initiative, or Director Nick Fury was planning it, the heads of the board weren't thrilled about taking it on, but I'm sure once he let them know I was on board, he'd have no problem with clearance. It was so secretive I couldn't tell me dad.

I made three more suits, one full body armour like dad's, a metallic purple and gold, I re made my original baby pink and graphite one, I also made one for show, like the one they came up with in Japan for the anime cartoon; Iron Girl Adventures. It was mostly aimed at girls, they had Iron Man Adventures for boys and a crossover series Iron Adventures.

The suit in that was a silver cat suit with a luminous pink armoured chest piece that looked cropped, if metal could be cropped, the traditional clunky boots in the same sparkly pink that came just over knee height, and fully robotic arms and helmet, only the helmet had this hugely long and inappropriate ponytail coming out of the top of it, and the mask's face was a whole lot more cartoon like and expressive. I loved that suit more than any other.

But through all this excitement, thrills, famous friends, parties, interviews, saving the world, I was dying. _We_ were dying. Using the suits was poisoning us, slowly but surely. And being honest with myself, I was so _so_ scared. I didn't want to die, I wanted to live so much. I couldn't wear backless anything anymore, I had to cover up the tiny black veins that extended further and further every day all over my body that were signs of the poison making its way through my body.

…..fifteen thousand feet above New York City, first night at Stark Expo…..

"two seven thirty holding steady at fifteen thousand feet, you are over the drop zone."

"Play the music." I said, and the guitar riffs sent a bolt of adrenaline through me, and my dad I'm sure, and the plane opened its door over the expo, I could practically hear the crowd from here, we were going to fly in to the bars of AC/DC's Shoot to Thrill, look really awesome, and have super cool dancers in Iron Man and Iron Girl costumes, and we were going to present the first Stark Expo featuring Iron Man and Iron Girl.

The doors opened, the music swelled up from nearly the entire city, and Dad and me dodged the fireworks and swooped and fell and dove through the air, to finally land in a crouch on the Expo's main stage in front of a huge screen bearing a bright, bold American flag, the dancers came out and did their dance to the rest of the song and our hands were raised up, accepting the screams and applause.

We'd landed directly on two circular pedestals, which spun slowly as three robots appeared, not the ones from our Malibu house, but their cousins, if you will, and began to disassemble the suits in front of the crowd, leaving Dad in a suit and me in a pair of fresh-off-the-NYC-runway high waisted black spandex pants and a black and white crew neck striped box t shirt with ¾ sleeves, teamed with some extreme chunky platforms. My hair was in natural waves in a low pony, I looked awesome, casual, unexpected. Iron Girl.

Iron Girl who was dying.

"Hello New York!" I yelled, a secret concealed mini mic amplified my voice, I waved

"It's good to be back!" Dad called, Pepper wrote this intro for us, all we had to do was remember it. It was safe to say I was much better at public speaking since the day I announced we were superheroes.

"Did you miss us?" I asked

"Blow something up!" someone shouted from the crowd

"Blow something up?" I asked "Hey, didn't we already do that dad?"

"I think we did."

There were laughs. "I'm not saying the world is enjoying its longest period of uninterrupted peace because of us." Dad took on a serious note; I kept smiling, stood next to him.

"And I'm not saying that from the _ashes_ of captivity, never has a greater phoenix metaphor been personified in human history!" I said laughed out, taking a miniature bow.

"I'm not saying that Uncle Sam can lay back on a lawn chair, sipping ice tea because I haven't come across anyone who's man enough to go toe to toe with us on our best day!" the audience was amazing, they cheered everything we said

"I love you Tony!" someone screamed

"Please, it's not about me…it's not about you, it's not even about us. It's about legacy; it's about what we choose to leave behind for future generations. That's why that for the next year, and for the first time since 1974, the best and brightest men and women from nations and corporation from the world over, pool their resources, share their collective vision, to leave behind a brighter future."

Wow ok Pepper you definitely wrote this script fairly, I had nothing to say for a while, so I just had to stand there looking pretty in a very genius superhero way. "It's not about us! Therefore, what I am saying, if I'm saying anything, is welcome back to the Stark Expo."

Now it was my turn "And now, making a special appearance from the great beyond, please welcome, my grandfather, Howard!" I said, as a huge screen rolled forward bearing the Stark Industries logo. There was a video that my grandfather had made to show at the Stark Expos, we showed a shortened version of it every year, but this Expo was _huge_, so we were showing them the full version.

We walked off the side of the stage as the familiar voice started to talk "Everything is achievable through technology, better living, robust health…"

My dad placed a metal bottle down on the table, took out his blood toxicity monitor. 19%.

"I need to check yours." He said, putting it away. I pulled mine out, rolling my eyes; I hated this more than anything at the moment. "Twenty one." I said. His mouth tightened.

The video was about to finish, I brushed off the tiny prick of blood and turned to walk backstage and go home. "The Stark Expo…Welcome."

I headed down, dad through his jacket to Uncle Happy, our driver and part time best friend. He wasn't my uncle, but he was like a second father too me, He was the person I trusted most in the world, after Dad and Pepper of course. Brody came after Happy Hogan on the basis he wasn't a Stark, or even an honorary member of my unrelated, kind of mixed up family. Brody also thought I had some serious mental issues. He liked to tell me I was worse than my dad, and very spoiled and annoying. But that was only in our fights.

Happy led us quickly through the backstage area "We gotta get you out of here. Come on." He led us through the door as bodyguards tried to shield us from the crowd "Hi, nice too meet you, enjoy the expo." I repeated, trying to shake as many hands as possible and smile brightly.

Going down the stairs I stopped to autograph pictures of me for some adorable little kids, the boys had Iron Man masks on, the girls' pink iron Girl versions. I patted them on the head. Happy introduced us to the more 'important' people on the stairs going down to the underground garage. I shook hands and put on my 'business' smile, a little less lopsided happy grin, a little more 'I'm nearly twenty years old, I know what I'm doing.' with a pinch of 'I'm a Stark, get the hell out of my way.'

We finally got away from the crowd "There we go, that wasn't so bad." Happy said

"No, it was perfect." Dad said

"The new models arrived." Happy passed us a car key each

"Oooh, nice." I surveyed the pretty cars

"Nice, does she come with the car?" Dad asked indicating the girl leaning against it, I had to stifle a groan, as Brody joined us. He greeted me with a hug and a quick kiss, "You were awesome out there." He said

"I know." I grinned

We walked over to the cars, Brody, Happy and Dad let out low whistles, then they looked at me when I made no sound "It does come in pink though, right?" I asked

Happy tried to explain that to put a colour like pink on a car like that was blasphemy, but I wanted to know what the hell this girl was doing against my car looking like she had the right to be.

"Hi." Dad said

"Hi" she said back

"And you are?" he asked

"Marshall."

"Unusual, I like it."

"Nice to meet you, Tony." She said but she got ignored.

"I'm on the wheel, you mind?" He asked Happy "Come one Brody, I'll race ya." He said

I rolled my eyes and handed the keys to Brody, as Happy put Dad's bags in the trunk, and an assistant brought my Louis Vuitton holdall and Brody's Hugo Boss gym bag over and put them in the trunk as I climbed into the passenger seat.

"Where you from?" Dad asked the girl

"Bedford."

"What're you doing here?"

"Looking for you and Lara."

"Oh really?" I asked

The two cars were parked side by side. "What're you up to later?" dad asked

"Serving citations." She said, across me as I was the one closest to her. She handed me a letter. I looked at it. "Yikes." I said

"I don't like to be handed things, Brody, take it." I snapped

"Yeah, she doesn't like to be handed things." Brody said taking the letter

"Yeah, she has a thing. I happen to have the same thing, so…" The girl walked around the other side to give dad's letter to Happy. Brody had torn it open and started reading it.

"You are hereby ordered to appear before the senate armed services committee tomorrow morning at nine AM." She said

"Can I see a badge?" dad asked

"That won't be necessary." She said

"I wanna see the badge." I raised my eyebrows. She flashed the shield. Crap, being in court tomorrow morning was not part of the plan. My favourite Manhattan salon with my Victoria's Secret model friends and Kim Kardashian was the plan.

So much for that, I guess.

"How far are we from DC?" Brody asked

"DC? 250 Miles." Happy informed us. Brody and Dad exchanged a competitive look and the engines revved.


	2. Chapter 2

Iron Girl 2 – Chapter 2

We arrived in Washington at ridiculous AM, I'd had one of my assistants named Becky call ahead and have reservations made at a hotel, and for her to send something Chanel for me to wear.

It was now nine thirty AM, A Starbucks caramel frappucino was sitting in front of me and I was currently on my iPhone tweeting Brody who was sat a few rows back, Pepper was whispering to dad.

Me and Dad where the only two sat on the left hand side of the courtroom at a long dark wood table. There was an empty table on the other side after a stretch of blue carpet split the room in half. On an elevated platform sat the Senate Members, in the centre Senator Stern. They were all crotchety faced old men. Most of the audience was too, apart from Brody and Pepper; dad was turned round in his leather chair talking to her.

I sent a tweet off: **_been summoned to court…oops #irongirlproblems_**

In a matter of minutes it was trending worldwide. It felt good to have that kind of power. And the kind of power to stop terrorists blowing up Fifth Avenue was also a plus.

"Miss Stark, Mr Stark, can we please start?" Senator Stern said, banging on the dark wood desk with a wooden hammer, I fired off a few more tweets and instagrammed myself pulling a face.

I turned right around in my chair and pulled some faces at Brody. "Miss Stark, Miss Stark?" the voice repeated, a whirled around "Yes dear," I asked "Of course"

Everyone laughed, I grinned. "Do you or do you not possess specialised weapons?" he asked, trying to make sure I had no way out of the question. "We do not." Dad replied

"You do not?" he asked

"We do not. Well, it depends on how you define the term weapon." Dad reiterated his point

"The Iron Man weapon. And the Iron Girl."

"I would not define Iron Man as a weapon."

"Oh really, how would you define it then?"

"I would define it by calling them what they are." Dad snapped back

"Oh really, and what's that?"

"It's a high tech prosthesis." I said. There was more laughter, the cameras panned in around my face, camera lights flashed "It's actually the most apt description I can make." I shrugged. I grinned at dad and he grinned back.

"It's a weapon Miss Stark." Senator Stern said.

"Oh please if your priority was actually the wellbeing of…" Dad argued back

"My priority is to get the Iron Man and Girl weapons turned over to the people of the United States of America." He said. I looked at him; he had eyes like a fish and a big double chin. I disliked him instantly, even more than I disliked Justin Hammer, of Hammer Tech. They liked to think of themselves as Stark Industries competitors, even though they were nowhere near us. Justin Hammer was at least ten years older than me, though he dressed like a pompous asshole and asked me out to dinner or for a drink every time we were in the same room, what a bore.

"Well you can forget it." I said "I am Iron Girl. The suit and I are one. To turn over the suit would be to turn over myself which is paramount to servitude or prostitution depending on what State you're in…can't have it." I grinned as the whole courtroom burst into a laughing fit.

"Well I'm no expert in…"the senator began

"In prostitution? Of course not you're a senator come on!" I banged my palm on the table as the courtroom collapsed again.

"I am no expert in weapons; we do however have an expert in weapons here with us I would now like to bring to the stand Justin Hammer, our current weapons contractor." Sen. Stern said, as Justin walked to the front of the room in an ugly light grey suit.

I groaned and caught my dad's eye. I delved into the Hermes tote bag at my feet and pulled out a tiny little device fresh of the prototype, I was going to cause some chaos. Dad saw it in my hands and winked. "Let me object and say that I observed Mr. Hammer entering the chamber, and am wondering when any real expert is going to be in attendance." Dad asked, I laughed with the rest of the courtroom as Justin Hammer took a seat on the table next to ours, separated by an expanse of dark varnished wood and a metre of blue carpet dividing the court room. A television had been rolled out and it was showing the logo for the US ministry of defence.

"Absolutely, I'm no expert." Justin said, stupid thick framed glasses taking up his whole face. Idiot. He laughed into the microphone but nobody laughed with him. "You're the wonder children." He indicated us. Just because we knew the right way to fire a rocket, dumbass.

"Senator, if I may. I may well not be an expert, but you know who the real expert was? Your dad." He said, he'd got up and walked to the front, taking the mic with him like an idiot. He indicated _my_ dad.

"Howard Stark, really a father to us all." He continued, my dad joined his hands together by the tips of his fingers and sat back a little, and watched Justin like a hawk.

"But let's be clear, he was no flower child, he was a lion. In the last six months, Anthony and Lara Stark have created swords with untold possibilities, yet they insist they're shields. They ask us to trust them as we cower behind them. I wish I were comforted, Lara, Anthony, I really do wish I could leave my door unlocked when I leave the house, but this isn't Canada. We live in a world full of grave threats that Miss and Mr Stark will not always be able to foresee. Thank you."

He want to sit down, I watched him with my jaw clenched "God bless the Iron Men and god bless America." He said finally. I let out an irritated sigh.

"That was very well said Mr Hammer. The committee would now like to invite Colonel James Rhodes to the chamber." Stern said

"Uncle Rhodey's here?!" I said, and we both turned in our seats to see him walk briskly down the aisle in full Air Force uniform, looking grave, he refused to catch my eye. We both got up and went up to him. "Hey buddy. Didn't expect to see you here." Dad said as they shook hands, the cameras went mad.

"Look, it's me I'm here let's deal with it and move on." He said, still not looking directly at us.

"We have here a complete report on the Iron Man and Iron Girl weapons compiled by James Rhodes, and Colonel Rhodes, for the record could you please read page 57 paragraph four…" Stern said, I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach and I could feel eyes on my back.

"You're requesting that I read specific selections from my report, sir?"

"Yes sir."

"It was my understanding I'd be testifying in a more comprehensive and detailed manner." Rhodey began

"Yes I understand, a lot of things have changed today." The Senator said

"You do understand that reading a single paragraph out of context is not does not reflect the overall…"

"Yes colonel I do." Senator Stern cut him off. Rhodey was trying to get out of this, but it wasn't working, so it was gonna be bad.

"As they do not operate within any definable branch of government, the Iron Men present a potential threat to both the nation and her interests…I do go on however to state that the benefits of Iron Man and Iron Girl far outweigh the liabilities…" Rhodey tried to go on but he was yelled at.

"That's enough Colonel!" Stern shouted, papers fluttered and Rhodey had to shut up.

"I'm not a joiner but I'll consider secretary of defence if you ask nice." Dad said to shut everyone up, the courtroom laughed.

"I'd like to go on to show some of the imagery that's connected with your report…" Stern said, indicating the screens, one on either side.

"I believe it is somewhat premature to reveal these images to the public…" Rhodey said, I felt the tiny tablet with the transparent touch screen in my lap. I hoped I'd get a chance to use it.

"Colonel I understand but if you could just narrate those for us I'd be very grateful." Stern said.

Justin Hammer shot me a victorious glance, I scowled back and Rhodey looked at the screen.

"Intelligence suggests that the devices seen in these photos are in fact attempts at making manned copies of the Stark's suits." There were satellite images of what looked like a big beige desert shaped thing and then lots of little grey and black boxes. Not very interesting. I could probably find better stuff on YouTube . I turned on the device, latched on to the circuit of the TV, and scrolled through tiny images of what was to come, crap, crap and oh look, more crap.

I held the device up to point at the TV, "Hold on one second Uncle Rhodey." I said

I connected to the screen, suddenly the image was covered with a black script box, and there was a gasp at the script flashed up finally with 'Welcome Miss Stark'.

"Oh boy I'm good." I said, as the TV was now completely under my control

"I commandeered your screens. I need 'em."

I put the tiny device down on the table, "What is she doing?" Senator Stern asked

"Now, if you'll direct your attention to the screens…" I tapped on a video and it loaded up "I believe that's North Korea." I continued to tap away; everyone's eyes were hooked on the screens.

A crude, ugly robot type thing walked slowly and clumsily down a ramp, making lots of whirring and clicking, it then fell over sideways and machine guns started firing from its arms uncontrollably, I watched in satisfaction, nobody could get this technology. Not yet.

"Turn that off! Somebody turn that off!" The Senator demanded, Justin Hammer got up and over to the TV, I quickly turned to a video from Iran where something big and robot shaped had just fell out of the sky and exploded "Yeah, no grave immediate threat here…..Oh My God id that Justin Hammer?!" I asked in mock surprise, Justin was currently trying to disconnect the TV but it wouldn't work since I wasn't connected to the actual mechanics of the TV, just the screen. Unless they cut the power, they couldn't disconnect me. There was another gasp as the people noticed it was actually Mr Hammer.

"How did Mr Hammer get there?" I asked in mock question, as Justin was shouting and swearing at his failure. The courtroom erupted; the senator hung his head with his face in his hands. I looked over at both my Dad and Rhodey, they smirked at me and I grinned back, I looked behind to see Pepper stifling a laugh behind a cough and Brody in full hysterics.

"Yeah, I'd say most countries five or ten years away….Hammer industries twenty."

"I'd like to point out that that test pilot survived!" Justin shouted down the microphone

"I think we know see the point that you're making, let's just leave it…" The Senator garbled

Dad rested his face on his arm with his elbow on the table top "The point is, I guess, you're welcome. We're your nuclear deterrent. It's _working_, you're _safe_. You want my property, you can't have it! But we did you a big favour!" Dad yelled, he stood up

"The Starks have successfully privatised world peace!" He said, I stood up next to him

"What more do you want right now?!" He asked as the court room stood and applauded

"We tried to play ball with these ass clowns!" I said, pointing at the board

"Fuck you, Starks, fuck you." The Senator said surprisingly.

"We're adjourned for today, we're adjourned" said another senator, I turned to grab my Ray bans of the table, put them on and blew kisses the Senators as I walked out next to my dad flashing the peace sign which had become our trademark.


End file.
